


We Will Fall Together

by worriedpeach (skeletonflowers)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, its fluffy af, its just kissing, side showki - Freeform, they're fwb but theres no sex, theyre both idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 09:59:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeletonflowers/pseuds/worriedpeach
Summary: Jooheon kissed like how he sang. Steady, soft, a soothing lullaby that took Changkyun in his hold and made him unable to think about anything else. Jooheon’s fingers were soft on his chin, his thumb rubbing circles where Changkyun’s dimple was, and yeah, this was nice. He could get used to this. Jooheon was soft, just like his dimples and his dumb aegyo voice and his tummy, and he kissed like that too.Or; Changkyun and Jooheon start platonically kissing and they can't seem to stop.





	We Will Fall Together

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my second Monsta X fic, wow. I feel like i've had so many in the works but I haven't finished any, so I feel good about this! I really enjoyed writing this one and had a lot of fun with it. I hope you guys enjoy it too! Title creds go to the band, Streetlight Manifesto.

Changkyun wasn’t sure how it started, but once it did, he found that it didn’t stop. 

They’d been close for years, ever since Jooheon had opened his heart to him during No. Mercy when nobody else had given Changkyun the time of day. Amongst all the stress from debuting and then constantly making music, Changkyun had turned to Jooheon for comfort whenever he craved the intimacy of another person. 

While they seemed like opposites at first, they had more in common than expected. Changkyun, while outwardly cold and distant, became a smiley person when he was comfortable, someone who turned into a giant dork at the weirdest moments. Jooheon was the opposite, appearing friendly and silly, but could also be serious when the time came, always there to lend a hand when needed. 

They balanced each other in this way, became closer, until they were literally finishing each other’s sentences and finding intimacy in each other unlike most friends do. 

In truth, Monsta X was a pretty open band when it came to skinship. Most of the members liked to hug and touch and hold hands to show how close they were, to show how much they enjoyed the members’ company. Changkyun partook in it as well, sometimes sitting on his hyungs laps or holding hands with them or even falling asleep on beds that didn’t belong to him. 

However, the five other members were no match for Jooheon’s embraces, the way his hands were soft and reassuring when he held Changkyun’s hand, the way he didn’t even question the maknae when he crawled into Jooheon’s bed at 3am, just lifting the blanket and allowing their legs to tangle together, Changkyun’s head nuzzling into Jooheon’s neck. He’d simply move over to make room, put an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders, and press a kiss to Changkyun’s forehead. 

It was easy with Jooheon, it always was. 

Maybe that was why it was so easy to find their lips pressed together one day without a second thought. They had both been up for twenty-eight hours straight and had immediately fallen into Jooheon’s bed. Changkyun justified it by saying it was too far of a climb up to his own bunk, but really it was just nice to fall asleep in someone’s arms after a long day of performing. 

Jooheon was warm and he gave the best hugs, let Changkyun nuzzle into his chest while he made himself as small as absolutely possible. He liked to feel tiny, taken care of, and Jooheon was always ready to satisfy the needy part him because that’s just the kind of person he is. 

But as the snores from their other two roommates started to seep through the darkness, Changkyun found that he couldn’t sleep. His eyes were burning, he was absolutely _exhausted_ , and yet the sandman hadn’t come to punch him in the face yet. 

He lifted his head, squinted his eyes at Jooheon’s face, tried to see if his hyung was awake or not. Jooheon’s eyes were closed, lips slightly pouty, and he was breathing calmly. Probably asleep. But Changkyun was tired, _beyond_ tired, and his brain didn’t have a filter this time of night. Which is why he found himself whispering, “hyung, wake up,” and poking Jooheon in the dimple with his index finger. 

Jooheon’s eyebrows furrowed and his lips became even more pouty. His arms wrapped tighter around Changkyun’s waist, pulling them flush together, and if Changkyun hadn’t been so goddamn exhausted, he may have put a little bit of space between them. 

Instead, he poked Jooheon’s cheek again, and then flicked his bottom lip with the tip of his finger. “Jooheon, wake up. I’m bored.” 

Slowly, Jooheon’s eyes fluttered open. He gazed sleepily at Changkyun, fingertips grazing along the divs in his spine in a way that maybe felt a little bit too intimate, but which made goosebumps raise on Changkyun’s arms. “Mmh?” Jooheon sighed out, sounding like a disappointed parent. 

“I can’t sleep.”

Jooheon groaned and turned his face sideways to press it into the pillow. “Well some of us were _trying_ to.” But he should know by now, should know that nobody can sleep if Changkyun can’t get to sleep. And he did. Which is why he was suddenly adjusting, opening his eyes into little, affronted slits, and giving Changkyun a flat look. “If you don’t fall asleep within the next five minutes, I’m kicking you out of my bed,” he said without humor. 

Changkyun shut up, and this time he closed his eyes, pouting out his own lip. Truth was that he was utterly exhausted, his body melting into Jooheon’s, yearning for his best friend’s heat. He could feel Jooheon’s breath fanning across his face, which should probably be disgusting, but it was familiar in a way that made him relax. Because here, in his friend’s arms, it felt comfortable and a little bit like home. 

“Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice, it just turns back into a grape?” Changkyun murmured sleepily. 

He didn’t miss Jooheon’s exasperated sigh. “I’m pretty sure that’s just not right.”

“I’m going to test my hypothesis tomorrow. Then I’ll be famous and you’ll regret ever doubting me.”

“You already _are_ famous, Kyun. Just shut up already, oh my God.” 

Changkyun smiled, his eyes still closed. He felt warm, his body going slack, jerking towards sleep. Jooheon should also be used to this by now, how Changkyun couldn’t stop mumbling nonsense as he slowly drifted off. Never once has Jooheon been able to peacefully fall asleep before Changkyun had. “I’m just saying. You’ll regret it. And then my face will be all over cereal boxes and shit and you’ll be stuck in the dorms thinking about grapes and how you were _wrong_ , and-“

Changkyun was cut off by Jooheon suddenly reaching forward and smoothing a hand through his hair. His touch was so light that it took him off guard, and then Jooheon was bringing him closer, blindly trying to coordinate his movements in the dark. His nose knocked against Changkyun’s eyebrow, and Changkyun’s forehead banged against Jooheon’s cheekbone. 

And then, without question, they were kissing. Softly, lazily, with no real hunger or demands behind it. It was a small caress, Jooheon’s lips were warm, they were both delirious from lack of sleep, and Changkyun was kissing his best friend. 

If Changkyun had imagined what kissing Jooheon before would have been like (which he hasn’t before), then he would have assumed Jooheon would kiss like he raps. Harsh, erratic, desperate for attention. Demanding and all consuming. Maybe he could be like that sometime too, but that time was not today. 

Jooheon kissed like how he sang. Steady, soft, a soothing lullaby that took Changkyun in his hold and made him unable to think about anything else. Jooheon’s fingers were soft on his chin, his thumb rubbing circles where Changkyun’s dimple was, and yeah, this was nice. He could get used to this. Jooheon was soft, just like his dimples and his dumb aegyo voice and his tummy, and he kissed like that too. 

When they parted, Changkyun was barely breathing, but Jooheon let out a shaky sigh. His face was unreadable in the darkness, but Changkyun hoped his face was tinted pink, just like Hyungwon’s hair. 

“Sorry,” Jooheon breathed. 

Changkyun kissed his cheek. Nuzzled into him further. Buried his nose into Jooheon’s neck and hugged his waist. “Don’t be,” he whispered. 

That ended up being the best night of sleep he’d gotten in years. 

-

The kissing didn’t stop. Not really. 

The next morning, they woke up intertwined with Jooheon lying halfway on Changkyun’s chest and Changkyun’s fingers in Jooheon’s hair. They kissed chastely before staring at each other and laughing in disbelief. 

How had they gotten there? Were they really _that_ romantically constipated that they’d resorted to finding romantic gestures in each other? 

Apparently so. Because the next minute, Jooheon says, “so we kissed, huh.” 

It wasn’t a question. Changkyun nodded, his lips turned up as a snort snuck out of his mouth. “That was a thing.”

“A nice thing?” 

“A nice thing.”

“Lit,” Jooheon stated. He kissed Changkyun again, this time in broad daylight, where any of the members could see them if they walked in at the right (wrong?) moment. Jooheon’s lips were still just as soft as they were the night before, but this time Changkyun was actually awake enough to appreciate it, to feel each of his movements as he moved against him.

Changkyun didn’t understand why more people didn’t kiss their friends. Were they afraid it would turn awkward? The way Jooheon was gripping his hip like he was afraid he’d disappear was anything less than awkward. Were they afraid it’d change their relationship? Jooheon had said ‘lit’ before kissing him, so it was the same old Jooheon that he had known for years.

When they pulled apart, Jooheon’s face was bright red, his lips the color of ripened cherries, and his breathing was too fast to be entirely innocent. Changkyun was absolutely sure that he also looked completely debauched, even though they had been doing nothing more than innocent, platonic kissing.

“Does this make it weird?” Jooheon asked, worrying his plump lip between his teeth. 

Changkyun shook his head erratically. “Our friendship,” he started, not really making much sense. His mind was all over the place and he felt like he couldn’t _think_ straight. Probably because he wasn’t straight. “Kissing just enhances it. The friendship.” Maybe this newfound addition didn’t make sense to anyone outside of their relationship, but to them, it was almost natural. 

They’ve always been pretty close. Not really at first when everyone hated Changkyun’s guts, but after they got used to his presence, Changkyun latched onto Jooheon like a blood thirsty leech. Jooheon, though a bit sulky at first, let his guard down almost immediately, and then they were truly inseparable. If the world had platonic soulmates, Changkyun knew that Jooheon would be his.

They liked the same music, liked to rap together, liked to cuddle, even had the same kind of humor (even if Changkyun was a bit less innocent than Jooheon in terms of jokes).

Boom. Platonic soulmates.

Hell, Changkyun even know about Jooheon’s darkest secrets. Like the time he figured out he was attracted to boys _and_ girls because he slept over at his friend’s house in high school. He ended up witnessing his friend have a wet dream right beside him and ended up popping the biggest, most embarrassing boner and never had a sleepover with said friend again. Changkyun didn’t think that even Hyunwoo knew about that, and he was Jooheon’s Second Best Friend. Not the first. That went to Changkyun. Obviously.

In turn, Jooheon knew about the time when Changkyun had lost his virginity to some rando in a club. He also knew about how he proceeded to puke on the dude’s dick because he was far too fucking drunk to function, and how Changkyun had then been called the ‘worst fuck in the world’. Which was fine, because he deserved it after, y’know, puking on the guy’s dick.

Great times. Maybe not so great at the time. But now it was a fun memory to laugh about at random points during the day.

So they were close. Closer than most. Kissing Jooheon was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to fear. In fact, it was probably the most normal thing they could have ever done.

It became a thing after that. The kissing, that is. They didn’t do it _all_ the time, but they did do it quite a lot. After not being able to date anyone due to idol life, they were both craving the physical affection like a dehydrated man needing water. Changkyun was happy to supply it. Jooheon was more than happy to shove Changkyun into a storage closet to kiss his brains out.

It was mutual. It worked. Just kissing, no sex, just two bros being bros. All that jazz. It was super chill, no falling in love necessary. Just enough to quench Changkyun’s undeniable thirst.

And Jooheon was super understanding too. If Changkyun wanted alone time, if he didn’t feel like talking, much less kissing, then Jooheon would leave him alone, would refrain from touching him. Later, he would show up with a boba tea or a chocolate milkshake, and by then, Changkyun would be in a better mood. Would push him down onto the futon and smooch him until their lips burned.

It was probably obvious to the other members what they were getting up to. It was kind of hard not to notice when CHangkyun’s lips were redder than usual and Jooheon’s hair was ruffled in every direction known to man. But the other members didn’t mention it, probably decided it wasn’t their business anyways. Especially not when Hyunwoo and Kihyun fucked on a daily basis and Kihyun would slit their throats if anyone even _looked_ at them funny.

So they left him alone. At least, until Changkyun let it slip to Hyungwon himself like the actual dumbass he is.

They were cuddling. Changkyun particularly liked to cuddle Hyungwon when he wasn’t doing so with Jooheon. He liked how small Hyungwon made him feel, how Hyungwon was so tiny yet so _large_ at the same time. He was always super sleepy, so he was like a gentle, slow moving sloth who just used Changkyun for body heat. 

“The last time I cuddled someone like this, we ended up kissing,” Changkyun admitted like an actual piece of shit. He didn’t know if Jooheon would be okay with other people knowing about them. They hadn’t even discussed their preferences about this kind of thing. CHangkyun should tell Jooheon that Hyungwon knew as soon as possible before he found out through someone else.

Hyungwon hummed softly but he didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. “Jooheon?” he guessed. 

“Jooheon,” Changkyun deadpanned.

“You guys aren’t exactly slick,” Hyungwon told him, rubbing his hand down Changkyun’s spine. At Changkyun’s blank look, he said, “let me rephrase that. You two are the most obvious children I know.”

Changkyun frowned. “We’re not _that_ -”

“You both have been super touchy with each other and it’s not hard to miss when you both emerge from a fucking _storage closet_ looking like you just had the best quickie of the century.” 

“That’s not-” Changkyun tried. Hyungwon pulled back to give him an unimpressed look that said _don’t even fuck with me_. Sometimes Changkyun really hated Hyungwon. “We don’t have sex, hyung,” he said desperately. 

“Right. And neither do Kihyun and Hyunwoo.”

“I’m _serious_ , hyung,” Changkyun said desperately. “We haven’t- we aren’t- _like_ that. It’s just kissing, I don’t even think Jooheon’s lost his virginity yet, we’re just _friends._ ”

“Holy shit,” Hyungwon said suddenly, frozen. His eyes were wide, shocked, plump lips falling open in surprise and disbelief. “You’re being _serious_.” 

Changkyun almost yanked himself out of Hyungwon’s arms. _Almost_ , because then that meant he had to move out of bed, which really wasn’t going to happen at the moment. “I _told_ you I was serious,” he muttered, rolling his eyes at the astonished expression on his friend’s face. 

“But just kissing? You’re telling me you were both completely wrecked after a little makeout session? Are you two seriously that inexperienced?”

“For the record,” Changkyun growled. “I lost my virginity like four years ago. Not like that matters because virginity is a terrible social construct that just makes people feel shitty about themselves. Like, have you _seen_ how fans want their idols to be innocent little beans and never have sex with _anyone_ because then they’ll be tarnished and everyone is just highkey ignoring the fact that groups just sleep with each other _anyways_ -“

“Changkyun. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t suck Jooheon’s dick for a single corn chip.”

Changkyun gasped, affronted. “I’d suck _anyone’s_ dick for a corn chip. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Hyungwon sighed a string of curse words under his breath, something about how he was done with Changkyun’s shit and how he never wanted to see him again. He retracted his hand from Changkyun’s back to press fingers into his temples, like he was fighting a huge migraine. “My bad. Forgot you’re the biggest cockslut I know. In that case, you’d suck Jooheon’s cock just if he asked you nicely.”

He had a point there. But then again, “I’d suck all of the members’ dicks if they asked nicely. That’s how much I love you all.”

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow. He looked amused, but mostly annoyed. “Kihyun?”

“Well, maybe not Kihyun-“

“My point exactly.”

“You didn’t let me _finish_ ,” Changkyun whined, smacking Hyungwon’s chest with as much strength as a kitten. “Not Kihyun because I’m rather afraid of Hyunwoo’s beefy arms throwing me across the room.”

“Which is your kink.” Hyungwon was going all in today. He wanted to burn Changkyun alive. “But go off, I guess.” 

Changkyun glared at his far too attractive friend. He wanted to bust Hyungwon’s lip open and make him bleed everywhere. “That’s not the _point_. The _point_ is that Jooheon is my best friend and I like to smooch him and that’s it.”

Hyungwon seemed as though he didn’t know what to do with this information. He went to flail his arms a little bit, nearly knocking Changkyun in the face, before he just sighed out, long and with a tinge of disappointment. To show that he was disappointed, he buried his face into Changkyun’s hair and shook his head. “So you’re friends with benefits. But without most of the benefits. Yeah, okay. Sounds perfectly reasonable. Sounds like you guys don’t have romantic feelings for each other at all.”

“Jooheon and I are just good friends, hyung,” Changkyun said firmly, right before shutting down the conversation. “That’s it. Okay?”

“Fine,” Hyungwon muttered, putting his arms back around Changkyun’s waist and pulling him into his chest. Hyungwon was relaxing like a limp noodle, and Changkyun was finally able to release all of his tension as well. “I’m only agreeing because I’m tired and because you’re a stubborn piece of shit who doesn’t see what’s right in front of him.”

Changkyun didn’t ask him to elaborate. He could already guess at what Hyungwon was saying. But he was _wrong_ and Jooheon was Changkyun’s friend and life was good. Great, even. “I’m _your_ stubborn piece of shit, though,” he mumbled in reply. 

Hyungwon snorted a laugh and said, “sadly, yeah.”

-

Changkyun is in the middle of an argument about the usefulness of built in closets with Minhyuk when Jooheon intercepts. It was really intense, actually, with Changkyun talking about how he had a nice walk-in closet when he lived in America, and then Minhyuk started to argue with him about how most of Europe didn’t have those, to which Changkyun said _didn’t even make sense_ because they lived in _Korea_ , not Europe, but whatever. 

It was just bordering on them flowing into a new conversation about the thousands of different types of bread in Germany and how Changkyun would probably shove a whole baguette up his ass, which Minhyuk thought was a disgrace because “baguettes are _French_ , Changkyun-ah.”

This is when Jooheon interrupted, cupping his hands over his ears like he was trying to shield himself from the actual sin surrounding himself right then. His lips were pursed, the dimples in his cheeks making an appearance, and Changkyun promptly let his reply of how he’d probably shove most breads, regardless of where they originated from, up his ass, die from his tongue. Jooheon’s eyes were tiny slits, dripping honey and chocolate, and the curve of his lips had Changkyun downright staring. 

Because he remembered how Jooheon had pressed him against the couch yesterday while all of the members were out, how he had caged him in his arms and kissed him until Changkyun couldn’t remember how to speak Korean anymore for a whole five minutes afterwards, switching to English like a switch. 

“Can you guys stop being gross for like, two seconds?” Jooheon whined, cutting Minhyuk off. Changkyun hadn’t even heard what Minhyuk had been saying, being so distracted and all. 

Minhyuk’s jaw fell slack and his eyes widened comically. “Is that possible?” he asked, aghast. He turned to Changkyun, same astonished expression on his face. “Can we actually _do_ that?”

Jooheon groaned and rubbed at his cheeks. “Yes, now shut up. I’m stealing Changkyun.”

At this, Changkyun’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he stood up nonetheless. He would probably follow Jooheon to the ends of the Earth, without even questioning it. But now, he was just curious. “Me? Why me?”

“I want to eat and you’re not annoying unlike _some_ people,” Jooheon said with a pointed glare at Minhyuk, who gasped and immediately got into a battle stance. 

“I’m not annoying! Wanna fight? I’ll fight you don’t even test me.” Minhyuk threw a couple of punches into the air, hopping around on his feet. Changkyun inched towards Jooheon, stifling his laughter. “Square up, man. Are you a wimp?”

“Point proven,” Jooheon muttered. Before Minhyuk could say anything else, he was grabbing Changkyun by the collar of his shirt and dragging him out of the room. When they were out of earshot, Jooheon leaned in for a quick kiss, one that lingered just long enough so that Changkyun lost his breath for a minute. 

When he pulled away, Changkyun took a moment to collect himself, knowing fully well that a kiss shouldn’t make him just completely _melt_ like that. He was a grown ass man, not a teenager. And yet sometimes he found that Jooheon made him feel like he was still in high school. “What was that for?” he murmured. 

Jooheon shrugged and ran a hand through his blonde hair, making it spike in odd directions. Changkyun had to physically restrain himself not to pat it down. “Just felt like it.” He lit up then, grinning, dimples on full show. “I actually wanted to know if you wanted to come to dinner with me?”

“Just us two? Like a date?” Changkyun teased, pushing Jooheon back lightly with a hand on his chest. 

It made Jooheon laugh, his eyes sparkling. He kissed Changkyun once more. “Do you want it to be?” he asked. 

Changkyun thought for a second and then slowly shook his head. “Nah,” he told him, because it was true. While he wasn’t exactly opposed to going on a date with Jooheon, it was slightly strange. They hadn’t really talked about what they were, had just accepted that they were best friends, ones who liked to kiss as much as possible. Adding a date into the mix before they talked about things could make things ten times more confusing than they needed to be. 

There was a reason why Jooheon was his best friend, evidently, because he just shrugged. “That’s chill. Just us bros, yeah?” He ended the question with a bright smile and some finger guns and Changkyun’s heart warmed in his chest with how grateful he was to have a friend like Jooheon, one who really understood him and respected his decisions. 

“Just us bros,” Changkyun cooed in a weird voice, and then he was entwining his fingers through Jooheon’s blonde hair once more, pulling him down for a light kiss. Just to show him how much of a true _bro_ he was, or whatever. 

They ended up going to a ramyeon place right down the street from the dorms, masks pulled up over their faces and hats pulled down over their eyes to attract as little attention as possible. Of course, maybe it made them stand out even more because of their obvious anonymity, but it was closer to night time so less people were bustling about. Shadows cast over their faces and there was a good mood in the air, one that made Changkyun want to reach out and maybe entangle their fingers together. 

He shook his head to get those thoughts out of his head. The date comment must have gotten too much into his mind. He squashed them down by instead throwing an arm around Jooheon’s shoulders, as if to lead the way through the streets. 

They talked in quiet tones about their day, talked about the recordings they had to do for an upcoming project. About how Jooheon was considering dying his hair again because Kihyun and Hyungwon were going all out these days with the bright colors. Changkyun said he should dye his hair neon orange, which earned him an unimpressed look and a playful, “I hope you die.”

Much of dinner went like that. They sat in a booth in the corner, and thankfully nobody had recognized them yet, so they were free to talk about whatever subject they wanted. They ordered some soju and Jooheon’s feet were kicked up, resting on Changkyun’s thighs. His heels dug into Changkyun’s skin, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he quite liked how at ease they felt around each other, how there was an aura of comfortability between them that Changkyun still hadn’t achieved with the other members. 

Their food came quickly and Changkyun ordered another bottle of soju to go with it. He was feeling slightly fuzzy from the first one, a tad giggly, but he couldn’t really tell if it was because of the alcohol or because he was just happy to be out with Jooheon like this. It could definitely be a mixture of both, judging by the way his mouth was constantly turned up in a grin and his cheeks were burning with heat. 

“I’m just saying,” Changkyun said, pointing accusingly at Jooheon. “There’s no way that aliens aren’t real. Do you honestly think there aren’t any other forms of life out there aside from us?”

Jooheon shrugged and tapped Changkyun’s finger away from him with his chopsticks. “I haven’t thought about it much, and for good reason. Aliens are scary, man. If they were as advanced as people seem to think they are, we would have seen them by now.”

“Maybe they’re just waiting for the right moment to make an appearance. Or! _Or_ -“ Changkyun clapped his hands together and bounced a bit in his seat, dislodging Jooheon’s feet slightly, “-maybe they’re controlling us. You know how in the Sims we control the people and make them do things? Maybe we’re aliens controlling other people and there’s some other aliens controlling us and that’s why we sometimes don’t take a shower or we forget to eat even though we’re hungry. Because there’s another person controlling our actions!”

Jooheon snorted through a mouthful of ramyeon. He washed his food down with soju and a sip of water, and then reached out to still Changkyun’s frantically waving hands with one of his own. “Dude, chill. You’re the weirdest person I know, especially for someone who used to want to be a scientist.”

Changkyun pouted out his lip but he let Jooheon hold his hand, warm and callused in his own. He liked how big Jooheon’s hands were, how they engulfed his own. “Well at least I’m not so egotistical that I think I’m the only living creature in the entire universe.”

“ _I’m_ not the only person, Kyun. There’s other people on Earth too, you know.”

“I’ll fucking end you. Do you want to brawl? Is this what this is? You want to fight?”

“If by fighting, you mean shutting up your nonsensical mouth with my own, then yeah, sure.”

They stared each other down, unrelenting, but eventually burst into a fit of giggles. Changkyun let his eyes flicker down to Jooheon’s lips, the way the top lip bowed perfectly, and he had a moment where he wished they weren’t in public so they could _properly_ brawl. It was very possible that Changkyun had an obsession with kissing Jooheon now that he’s had a taste of it. He never wanted to stop. 

They finished their meal with a range of banter about mythical creatures, starting with a rant about an American cartoon Changkyun had seen called Gravity Falls and ending with a heated debate over whether or not mermaids were real. 

(“Listen hyung, the ocean is super big and we’ve barely seen any of it. We find new species all the time. Why wouldn’t mermaids be possible?”

“Maybe because there’s no way they’d resemble a human at all? Technically speaking, they’d look more like a sea predator than a human if they were real.”

“Yeah, but that’d still make it a mermaid.”

“Why don’t you just call a dolphin or a manatee a mermaid and call it a day, then?” 

“Next you’re going to tell me that ghosts aren’t real, aren’t you?”

“Ghosts are definitely real, Changkyun.”)

Changkyun was tipsy, maybe bordering on drunk, but he refused to admit it. Jooheon seemed to be in the same boat as him, judging by how he kept trying to hold Changkyun’s hands, catching them in the air as he waved them around wildly. His hands were warm and big, and Changkyun took it upon himself to entwine their fingers together, humming happily. 

“How drunk are you?” Jooheon asked suddenly, prying one of his hands from Changkyun’s so he could pay the bill. 

“‘M not _drunk_ ,” Changkyun said unconvincingly. “Just happy.”

Jooheon nodded like he understood, but his honey eyes were small with how big he was smiling, squeezing Changkyun’s hand. “Right, of course. Do you need me to call Hyunwoo hyung to help us home?”

Changkyun shook his head. “It’s only a couple blocks down, I can make it,” he insisted. 

“Right,” Jooheon said again, squinting his eyes. It was now that Changkyun realized he wasn’t quite as tipsy as himself, judging by how he was barely slurring his words. But then he took out his phone, dropped it twice, and then banged his elbow on the table, and maybe Jooheon was just good at hiding it. 

He typed something into the phone and held it up to his ear, and Changkyun glared at him as he told Hyunwoo to come pick them up and help them home. What a traitor. He never trusted Changkyun, and that was a shame considering they were the best of bros. 

“I’m never kissing you again, traitor,” Changkyun told him, probably far too loudly, when he hung up the phone. 

Jooheon glared and smacked his hand. “Don’t talk to your hyung like that, you disrespectful brat,” Jooheon hissed, and Changkyun kicked him from under the table. 

“Fuck you,” Changkyun said in English. He thought about it, paused, added a, “hyung” to the end as if that would make his speech any sort of respectful. 

Jooheon responded by throwing a napkin at him, rolling his eyes as though he was dealing with an unbearably large child. And who knows, maybe he was. 

It didn’t take long for Hyunwoo to find him, and Changkyun shouldn’t have been surprised to see Kihyun following close behind, his eyes narrowed to slits. He had this look on his face like he was about to tear _someone’s_ head off, or that he was smelling something so disgusting he was going to throw up. He hid half behind Hyunwoo’s huge bicep, almost like he was using it to hold him back from murdering Changkyun and Jooheon right there. 

Changkyun didn’t pick up on any of this. He tore his hand away from Jooheon’s, pushed Jooheon’s legs from his thighs, and then stumbled to a standing position so he could throw his arms around Hyunwoo’s neck. “Appa!” he exclaimed happily, ignoring the looks from other restaurant customers. “I’ve missed you! How have you been?”

Hyunwoo gently pried Changkyun away from him and smiled softly. “You just saw me this morning,” he said gently. “I’m here to take you home.”

“And once you’re sober,” Kihyun growled, trying his best to sound ferocious. Changkyun giggled because he reminded him of an angry hamster. “I’m going to beat your ass into oblivion for not being responsible.”

“You need to keep your wife under raps, appa,” Jooheon said offhandedly, and Changkyun howled and gave him a hearty high five. 

Hyunwoo looked thoroughly unimpressed. “I can’t tell Kihyun what to do,” he stated flatly, taking Changkyun by the arm and shoving him at Kihyun. He then grabbed Jooheon’s shoulder and yanked him up none-too-lightly, waiting until Kihyun had his arm wrapped around Changkyun’s waist to start leading them out of the restaurant, masks and hats pulled down over their faces. 

The walk was short, but it felt long as ever when Changkyun was tripping every two feet, making Kihyun grab him by the collar and pull him back up so hard that Changkyun choked every time. 

Jooheon made an offhand comment the third time Kihyun choked him, mumbling something that sounded like, “bet that’s the noise you make when you try to deepthroat a fat dick,” which then made Hyunwoo smack the back of his head in disappointment. 

It was quiet in the dorms when they arrived, meaning that most of the members were either asleep or in their studios trying to get some work done. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the building, and it would probably be obvious to anybody listening that there were two drunk boys trying to figure out how to enter through a door. 

Kihyun had them sit on the floor while he removed their shoes, and Changkyun used that time to cuddle into Jooheon, rubbing his face over his shoulder. Jooheon kissed his cheek, which made Changkyun practically purr with happiness. 

“Can you guys like, not do that right here?” Kihyun asked flatly. 

Jooheon seemed puzzled. “Why not?” He turned his head as Changkyun tried to plant a big kiss on his lips, therefore only succeeding in kissing the corner of his mouth. 

Kihyun rubbed a hand across his face and groaned tiredly. “I personally don’t want to watch a couple of teenagers make out in front of me. Just go to sleep, alright?”

His proposition of sleep made Changkyun turn and beam at him excitedly. If he were a dog, he would probably be wagging his tail out of pure excitement. “Eomma!” he exclaimed, making Jooheon and Hyunwoo snicker. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“No.”

Changkyun pouted, and then brightened up again, turning to Jooheon. “Joohoney, can I sleep with _you_ then? We can have a sleepover.” As though they didn’t have sleepovers every night, considering they lived in the same room. 

Jooheon nodded his head excitedly, but then Kihyun was speaking up again, interrupting them. “I changed my mind, I’d rather have the brat sleep with me than have to deal with you guys keeping me awake with your gross kissing noises.”

In the end, Jooheon and Changkyun piled into the twin bed with Kihyun, practically laying on top of each other. Kihyun grumbled a lot, but they all knew that Kihyun didn’t actually mind. He lived off of being appreciated, loved taking care of them all, even if he was taking care of two giant babies at once. 

Changkyun and Jooheon each kissed one of Kihyun’s cheeks, burrowing under the covers. “Love you, eomma,” Changkyun whispered, followed by Jooheon’s declaration soon after. 

Kihyun ran his fingers through Changkyun’s hair and sighed once more. “I love you too, children.” Changkyun could tell from his voice that he was smiling. 

-

Jooheon likes to show up at Changkyun’s studio on days where he’s not doing anything. He says it inspires him, that the quiet atmosphere gives him time to think, that the futon in his friend’s studio is more comfortable than his bed in the dorms. 

While that may have been true in the past, Changkyun has a sneaking suspicion that Jooheon now just likes to come over because he’s in the mood for some kisses. And how could Changkyun say no to that, especially when Jooheon’s sitting on his futon and patting his lap with his lips all pouty and kissable?

That’s how he finds himself perched on Jooheon’s lap, his legs wrapped (slightly uncomfortably) around Jooheon’s waist and their lips pressed so tightly together that Changkyun’s lungs were on fire. He could feel Jooheon’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling lightly, threading his fingers through it, and the feeling was making Changkyun go completely limp and relaxed in his arms. 

They’d been kissing for months now, growing comfortable with each other, and they both were used to each other’s kissing styles. At first, they used to clack teeth together, would bump noses a lot, and then melt into giggles against each other. But now they were kissing in earnest, Changkyun’s arms thrown around Jooheon’s neck, his back arched slightly when Jooheon trailed his fingertips down his spine. 

“Can we just do this all the time?” Jooheon breathed into Changkyun’s mouth. 

Changkyun hummed and kissed him deeper, running his tongue along the seam of Jooheon’s lips. When Jooheon opened his mouth for him, he explored his mouth in a way that friends didn’t usually do. When he pulled away, there was a string of spit that connected them together, and Changkyun chuckled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “If we kiss all the time, I’m pretty sure we’d get kicked out of the band, Honey-hyung.” 

With the nickname, Jooheon’s cheeks turned a light flush of pink, and Changkyun couldn’t help but grin. He liked when Jooheon blushed. He didn’t often get embarrassed by much, so it felt like Changkyun was seeing something special whenever it happened, almost like Jooheon was telling him a secret. 

Without responding, Jooheon leaned forward and pressed another kiss to Changkyun’s lips, chaste and sweet. He squeezed Changkyun’s hips, nuzzling their noses together, and the domesticity of it all made Changkyun’s chest feel light. Contrary to what he’d said about Kihyun, he wouldn’t mind if they stayed like this forever. Just kissing and breathing in each other’s air. Holding hands, going to dinners together, filling in the empty spaces of each other’s lives. 

Maybe that’s why Changkyun wasn’t surprised when Jooheon said, “bro, I think I’m in love with you,” in the most tender voice Changkyun had ever heard. 

Maybe it should have been ruined by the ‘ _bro’_ , but they were both like this, both ridiculous, so he barely even blinked before he said in English, “fucking lit dude.” Then he closed the space between them and kissed along the curve of Jooheon’s neck. 

“You love me too?” Jooheon asked, shivering as Changkyun bit down on the skin of his shoulder. 

“Is that even a question?” Changkyun asked, because it wasn’t like he was being sly about it. He was very obvious in his actions, how he liked to kiss Jooheon, spend time with Jooheon, _nap_ with Jooheon. He was an open book, and Jooheon was fully aware of that. 

The biggest grin broke out on Jooheon’s face, showing his dimples and all. He tilted his head back and let out a relieved sigh. “Fuck yeah.”

So maybe it wasn’t the biggest declaration of love seen in movies. Maybe their relationship started out backwards and they were both just giant idiots. 

But maybe that’s all they really needed to be happy. 


End file.
